Selfishness: Ico
by Smoke
Summary: complete OMG, I got sucked into a video game. Raziel has a companion, and he's none too thrilled about it, but that doesn't stop his clingy little fangirl. Not really a selfinsert. Chapter 4 has been changed since it was first published.
1. Left Behind

A/N: I haven't given up on my other projects, (not officially,) but this story was a lot easier than what I've been fighting with lately.

_It's not really a self-insert, though it looks that way. I'm hoping that it will also be different than all the other, "OMG, I got sucked into a video game," stories. I think the main differences are that it's a crossover, and Raziel doesn't have that 'instant fascination' syndrome that forces him to interact with the OC._

5/25/05 Disclaimer I do not own Raziel or Legacy of Kain. If I did, I would've made Umah wear something warm-looking.

It's weird how it happened. One day, a strange man appeared in my room. He was dressed like a beatnik, black turtleneck and pants. He was absurdly pale with dark hair, but his strangest feature was his vibrant purple eyes. No one had eyes that color, and they seemed to have a subtle glow that couldn't have been caused by contacts. Somehow, he seemed familiar.

He introduced himself as "The Gamester," and offered to transport me into any game of my choosing. This seemed too good to be true, so naturally I questioned him about some details.

"You won't come to any real harm," he assured me, "but the only way out of the game is to finish it. That also means that you can't try to take too many shortcuts to avoid the parts that you don't like."

I considered my choice carefully, even though there was one name that immediately sprung to mind: Raziel. "I accept your offer. Let me do Soul Reaver 2."

The Gamester nodded. "You should change clothes. You can't very well wander around Nosgoth looking like that."

I hadn't bothered to get dressed this morning; I was still in my velvet lounge pants. I dug through my closet and found the RPG adventurer costume that I had assembled from thrift-store finds. It was sturdy brown slacks, steel-toed boots, and a tight sleeveless shirt. My disguise wasn't perfect, but I wouldn't stand out.

"What about my hair?" I asked. I hadn't dyed my hair recently, but most of it was still a dejected shade of blue.

The Gamester casually flicked his fingers in my direction, and my hair resumed its natural shade of medium brown. A moment later, I felt a wave of vertigo, and I was suddenly staring at Moebius' green-hooded face.

His dry and wrinkled face split into a broad grin. His eyes were supposed to be cloudy with cataracts, but instead they were the same bright violet as the Gamester's. "I hope you have fun," he crowed in a singsong voice.

I recovered from the shock as Moebius walked away from me. We were in the Sarafan stronghold; the walls of this room were painted with murals depicting Vorador's slaughter of the circle. Moebius walked into the incoming chronoplast chamber, but the door shut before I had a chance to follow him.

After several minutes, the doorway to the chronoplast chamber opened again. Moebius and Raziel emerged.

Raziel looked more impressive in real life than I could have imagined. Even from several yards away, I could see the sinews of his muscles working as he moved. His tattered wings swung against his legs like the sound of leather. A slightly sour scent filled the air, like laundry that had been left sitting in the washer for too long.

I watched as Moebius and Raziel bantered back and forth. I could barely believe it; I was truly in the game. Moebius was gesturing to the basin, telling Raziel that he would need to fight his way out of the stronghold.

Suddenly, Raziel turned and stared at me and questioned. "Who is that?"

Moebius turned to me, as if only noticing that I was there. However, his clouded eyes flashed a brilliant purple, indicating that the Gamester was still assuming his role. "Elizabeth is going to accompany you on your journey. Her advice should be beneficial" With that, Moebius disappeared.

"I do not need any help," Raziel sniffed. He shoved the door open and walked out into the hallway.

I ran after Raziel. He quickly dispatched the soldiers that barred his way. Raziel moved fast; I wouldn't have been able to keep up with him if Moebius' crusaders hadn't kept slowing him down.

Raziel kept glancing back at me, as if he was annoyed at being followed by a strange young girl. The route from the courtyard to the chapel was barred. This didn't prove to be any barrier to Raziel; he simply phased into the spectral realm. I didn't have that ability.

A moment later, Raziel appeared in the middle of the chapel. I could only press my face through the bars and watch as he took out the two female warriors.

Moments passed as I tried to figure out how to get through the gate. I still hadn't opened it as I listened to Raziel taunting Moebius. I knew the scene well. I pounded the gate in frustration, unable to catch up with Raziel.

Raziel grew tired of tormenting Moebius and left to go after Kain. I sunk to my knees and rested my head against the bars. I wept in disappointment at how I couldn't follow my favorite character through his adventure.

The possessed Moebius laid his hand on my shoulder and teleported me to his parlor. There, we sat at a small table that was set for tea.

"It's not fair," I shouted. I slammed my hand on the table, causing the cups to jump. "I can't keep up with him, especially when he goes into spectral."

Moebius' eyes flashed violet as he reflectively sipped at his tea. "You really shouldn't be surprised. This game was designed with his abilities in mind. You can't go were he can."

"There's got to be a way," I muttered.

"Isn't there any other game that you like?" Moebius asked me.

"A few, I suppose," I muttered unenthusiastically, "but Raziel's my favorite."

"I could pull you both into a different game," Moebius suggested. "Perhaps one that's designed more for a human's abilities?"

"He'd probably still find a way to leave me behind," I growled through clenched teeth.

"Not if he needs you to get out," Moebius smiled.

The smile wasn't Moebius' amused smirk; it was the gamester's conniving grin. The juxtaposition was a bit unnerving. Suddenly, it occurred to me. "Send us into Ico. That one requires both characters to work together."

"Excellent," Moebius crowed with uncharacteristic glee. "This is what we'll need to do..."

It was sooner than I expected when Raziel returned from his trek out in Nosgoth's wilderness. Moebius and I watched from the upper galleries of the chapel as Kain miraculously convinced Raziel not to kill him.

I was surprised to find Moebius suddenly start to twitch. I could only guess that he and the Gamester were struggling for control of the body. I bore Moebius no ill will, but I also did not feel any sympathy for him. I gave a vague smirk at his surprise.

The attack only lasted a moment. Moebius grabbed my arm and said, "It's time to go."

The teleportation spell engulfed us both, and in a moment we were in the hallway outside of Moebius' chronoplast chamber. I followed him through the door. Raziel was already there, but he ignored me as he taunted Moebius.

Moebius delivered his lines. As he set the machine, his eyes flashed purple. That was my signal.

As Raziel grasped the two poles of the switch, I threw myself at him and locked my arms around his scrawny body. His choked cry of surprise was cut off as the machine activated.


	2. New Game

A/N: Since Raziel has now been sucked into a different game, my story completely ruins the plot for ICO. (Though since that game is mostly about the puzzles, it still will be worth playing after reading this fic.)

Tom T. Thomson: Yeah, I ate dirt on that one. It says in my notes, "It doesn't occur to Elizabeth to feel sorry for Moebius." Since this is first-person without foreshadowing, I couldn't say anything about that, so it turned into a really lame line. Liz also hasn't played anything except the Soul Reaver Series, (though she is aware of Defiance's ending,) so she doesn't know the whole truth. However, there are people out there that don't have an instant-kill response towards Moe, I'm sure.

RockyShoreline: Well, it isn't exactly romance, but I randomly marked it angst because I was in a bad mood. I think the base idea is the only redeeming feature of this fic, so I'm glad you like it.

Razielim Vampiress: You don't have to beg, the story is pretty much written. (I actually started at the last chapter and worked towards the beginning.) I'm just withholding chapters so that I have a chance to make minor corrections. (Like in this one.)

gryps incedio: confused I am reading "RotR" Sorry that I chose that moment to speak my mind about being upset, but it was a threshold thing. I think I would've been alright if Kain's laugh had been sadistic, (a clue to how close to the line it stayed.)

Bret: Okay, this is hardly up to my usual standard… What bugged you?

5/27/05 Disclaimer: I do not own ICO or Raziel

For a moment, everything went dark. Then I found myself in a small round cage.

"What just happened?" Raziel's shout echoed off the stone walls.

I crawled to the side of the cage and looked out. I was suspended at the top of a high round tower. Raziel was standing on the spiral staircase that wound around the inside. His eyes were open wide; his shock and confusion were evident.

"Get me down and I'll explain," I said. I had to close my eyes against a wave of vertigo. The cage was swaying on its chain, and it was a long way to the floor.

When I opened my eyes, Raziel seemed to be considering his options. I pointed, "Pull that switch over there."

Without further comment, Raziel did as I asked. I fought another wave of vertigo as the cage slowly dropped. I glanced up to see Raziel sedately gliding down the tower's central shaft.

When the cage stopped at the bottom, Raziel dropped onto the top. The chain snapped, and I winced as the cage fell the remaining few feet.

"What's going on?" Raziel demanded.

"We got transported to a whole 'nother world," I explained as I crawled out of the now-open cage. "The only way we're going to get out is to work together."

"I don't think so," Raziel spat. "You're obviously working with Moebius."

I ground my teeth. "I am not working for the squid, and that means that I'm not doing anything for his incompetent lackey. Besides, he was possessed."

"I don't care." Raziel raised his arms in a familiar gesture and faded away.

A chill ran up my spine. I turned to see an inky puddle appear on the floor. Black smoke poured out of it.

Raziel scrambled out of the hole like his wings were on fire. He yelled in wide-eyed panic as he whirled to face the portal.

Creatures made of that same inky smoke clambered out of the portal. Raziel lashed out at them with his claws. With each blow, a puff of smoke broke off and drifted away. After several blows, each of the creatures dissipated. The portal faded away with the last of them.

"That was not the spectral realm," Raziel shouted angrily. He paused to look at me, as if he was finally seeing me for the first time. "How are we supposed to get home?"

"We have to escape this castle," I said. I grew suddenly nervous; Raziel's stare was unnerving.

He cast his gaze around the base of the tower. There were no visible exits. "You knew about that switch," Raziel mused. "I take it that you know how to escape this place."

I nodded. "We're going to have to work together."

"How do we get out of this room?"

I walked over to a row of four large stone blocks. Carved into them were the images horned children, hugging their knees to their chests. For a moment, I doubted that it would work, but I had been the one in the cage.

Then, white energy flowed out of my body and into the statues. It felt odd, like the prickly sensation when a limb goes to sleep. After an expectant moment, the statues moved aside, and the spirit gate opened.

Raziel gave me a sidelong look as he walked past me and through the spirit gate.

I wondered for a moment how I was able to tell where his balefire gaze was directed. As I followed him outside, I wondered if I would feel like someone was treading on my grave every time Raziel looked at me.

"Wait up," I complained. Just then, the bridge gave way under my feet. I lunged forward and managed to grab the edge. I had forgotten that was supposed to happen. Raziel just watched as I dangled.

"Don't wander away from me," I grunted as I managed to hook my leg on the side of the ledge. "There are more of those gates. You'll never get out of here without me."

Raziel glanced over the side of the bridge, to the rolling sea far below. "I could jump right now and leave you trapped in these ruins."

"And then what?" I challenged, finally on solid stone again. "This isn't Nosgoth, and you can't get home until we solve this puzzle."

Raziel didn't seem to have an answer to that. He turned his back on me and walked ahead. He didn't get far, however, as there was another spirit gate at the end of the bridge.

"I told you not to leave me," I shouted as I jogged to catch up with Raziel.

"Just because I need you doesn't mean I have to like it," Raziel spat.

He trudged through the room and another door. I followed him and yelped as the door slammed down behind me.

We were standing on another bridge. The difference between this one and the last was that this one had already collapsed.

"What do we do now?" Raziel demanded, gesturing at the dead end.

"It's been a while since I played this game," I muttered as I walked back the way we came.

I glanced around the small stone room and remembered what to do. "Push that block."

Raziel gave the block an unidentifiable look before he easily shoved it away with one arm, revealing a hidden switch.

Part of the floor rose up to form a stairway. Before they were complete, an inky portal opened up in the floor. Fortunately, they were only the weaker creatures. Raziel spent a moment fighting with them. I saw him try to feed on the smoldering spirits; his disgruntled growl hinted that he was unsuccessful.

At the next apparent dead-end, I said, "Okay, what you need to do is jump over this railing and pull that lever over there to open the door."

Raziel grabbed me and dropped me over the side of the railing. "I won't tolerate you acting like a weakling," he said as he landed beside me.

I gritted my teeth as pain bloomed through my feet and lower legs. I was grateful that I was still wearing my boots. It wasn't really that high, but the impact would have been worse if I'd been barefoot like Yorda.

Raziel had already climbed the chain and swung to the ledge on the far side of the room. I tried to pull myself up the chain, but I wasn't strong enough.

"Shove that box down," I told Raziel.

He angrily shoved the box off the ledge for me.

A chill ran up my spine. I knew that I was sensing a spirit portal opening. I was scrambling up onto the crate when one of those creatures grabbed me. I screamed as it took me in its chilling embrace.

Raziel leapt off the ledge and tried to reach me, but the other shades ganged up on him. The Reaver flared to life on his arm, and the smoky creatures dissolved under his blows.

I felt the warmth from the Reaver as Raziel stabbed the creature that was holding me. I knew that the shades would keep coming for me, so I stayed as close to Raziel as I could without being in his way. Within moments, all the creatures were dispatched and the portal closed.

"Are those things going to continue hounding us?" Raziel asked in irritation.

"I'm afraid so," I answered.


	3. Puzzles and Conversations

Varyssa: No Kain, sorry. I don't remember having any especial problems with Yorda. Have you played Defiance lately, and if so, do you now expect Ico to go into one of Raziel's combos? Maybe I'm just on crack for letting my mind fool me like that.

Brett: Well, of course it is.

RockyShoreline: ICO is a really old game that's still available. (I recently saw it in a hardware store.) People claim that it has no plot; the plot is simple, but it's mainly a giant and beautiful environmental puzzle. Let me know if you need more explanation than that.

Razielim Vampiress: Probably longer than reasonable. ;) I imagine that if it were me, I wouldn't even last as long as the people in Grizz's one-shot collection.

A/N: Thanks to everyone. You've inspired me to go back and continue embellishing the future chapters. It's still not up to my usual standards, but it's gaining a bit more of the details it needed. (I've still got a HUGE bothersome smudge that needs rewriting.) I feel the cement around the base of my writer's block start to crack.

5/29/05 Disclaimer: I don't own Raziel or Ico.

As we trudged through the castle, Raziel commented, "Your words earlier are confusing. You said that it was a while since you played this game. What did you mean?"

"Were I come from, we have things called video games," I started. I wracked my brain for a way to explain it. "Someone creates an illusion of a world and a story to go with it. Then another person can control a character in that illusion. It's an interactive story, the player has to actually do things to see the story progress."

"And we're inside one of those illusory worlds," Raziel mused.

"That's right," I said. "This one is called Ico."

"Who would want to hear a story of a decaying castle filled with soulless creatures?" Raziel asked.

"It's a story about a little boy named Ico who was born with horns; there's one like him every generation. It was considered an ill omen, and his village blamed things like droughts on him. When he turned ten, his village brought him here. They stuck him in a weird coffin and left him to die, but the coffin fell over and he got out."

"What about opening those weird doors?" Raziel questioned.

"Yorda, the princess that was supposed to be in that cage, belongs here. Since I'm in her role, the castle responds to me."

"So you're saying that I'm playing the role of Ico?" Raziel sneered. "I am no sacrifice."

I froze. Tears leapt to my eyes as I remembered the rumors of what would inevitably happen to him. I couldn't bear to tell him; Raziel would discover the truth soon enough.

The ledge we were walking along came to an end. The path continued as a pipe jutting out from the wall. Raziel easily shuffled along the pipe. I tried to follow him, but I could only hang from the pipe for a scant moment.

"Raziel, I can't do it," I yelled.

Raziel grumbled and asked, "Isn't this the right way?"

"Pull that lever," I shouted at him. I could only assume that he did, because a huge crate on a crane came swinging towards my ledge. Reluctantly, I leapt onto it. I lost my footing and landed ungracefully as Raziel pulled the lever again. He then glided down to land beside me.

The next room reminded me of a ballroom, or a huge cathedral. I couldn't think of any reason for the castle to have an empty room this large. There was no floor at this level; a bridge spanned the cavernous space. I stared down at an apparently bottomless chasm that had opened in the floor of the lower level.

I jerked my head up in fright as I realized that Raziel wasn't with me. I breathed a sigh of relief as he appeared in the doorway at the far side of the room.

"That is a dead end," he informed me. "What must we do now?"

I hummed in thought as I struggled to remember how this room worked. Suddenly, the answer clicked for me. I pointed to the chandelier, "Get on top of that."

As Raziel climbed into the rafters, I used the stairs to get down to the floor. Knowing what was about to happen, I waited in the doorway until I heard a resounding series of crashes.

I grabbed one of the convenient bombs. I lit it with a candle that had flown off of the fallen chandelier and cringed as it exploded with a muffled roar. The bridge that had formerly spanned the room now ramped from the top level to the floor on the other side of the chasm.

"Are we supposed to destroy this place in our efforts to escape?" Raziel mocked.

"That was the puzzle," I sighed as I opened the spirit gate that led to the courtyard.

My skin was electrified with all the shades and open portals in the area. "Don't fight them, just run," I ordered as I grabbed Raziel's talon.

It wasn't until we got to the spirit gate on the other side of the courtyard when Raziel bothered to pull his hand out of my grasp. The residual energy from the spirit gate fried all of the shades in the area.

We emerged into the sunshine. A grass-lined path led to the main gates of the castle. They stood open invitingly.

"Freedom," Raziel murmured. Suddenly, the gates began to grind close. He grabbed my arm and began running. We both slammed into the gate just as it shut. Raziel struck his claws against the unyielding surface in frustration.

"I could have told you that wouldn't work," I snapped angrily, rubbing my bruised arms.

"How much longer must I endure this waste of time?" Raziel demanded.

"I'd say that we're about a quarter of the way through this game," I huffed. "The time would pass more pleasantly if you would change your attitude."

"Why should I have a different attitude?" Raziel argued. "I'm trapped in a giant puzzle with a helpless cow of a girl."

"My name is Elizabeth," I growled. "Shorten it to Eliza or Liz if your lack of lips gives you trouble with the 'B,' but you will not compare me to cattle."

Raziel cocked his head towards the gate, as if wondering whether killing me was worth becoming trapped here forever.

"How are you enjoying yourselves so far?" a feminine voice questioned.

I turned to see a woman wreathed in the same inky black smoke as the creatures. Her face was a perfect alabaster white, but her eyes shone an intense purple. I knew this was the Gamester in the form of the Queen.

"Is this your doing?" Raziel demanded. "Release us this instant!"

The Queen pouted regally. "I cannot release you. The only way out is to finish the game."

With an angry growl, Raziel leapt at the Queen. She snapped out a magic word, and a bubble of darkness threw Raziel back. He narrowed his eyes in frustration.

This was not going at all like I had dreamed. Raziel was so anxious to get away from me. I wondered if having something nice happen to him would break his grim outlook.

"Can you make a change?" I asked the Gamester.

The Queen raised her eyebrows curiously. "What did you have in mind?"

"Make Raziel look the way he was before he was thrown into the abyss," I requested.

The Queen nodded and said another word. Blackness engulfed the courtyard momentarily, and she was gone.

Raziel stood in shock. His body and clothing were restored. The handsome vampire ran his talons over his face; I imagined that he barely believed what had happened.

Raziel's wings still hung in lose tatters down his back. He winced slightly as he ran his claws over them. "They're useless," he growled disapprovingly.

I studied the pattern of dried blood clotted along the edge of his wings. "They're not hurting you, are they?"

"It doesn't hurt when I move, but they're sensitive… too sensitive to use for gliding." Raziel sighed. "You should have chosen your words better."

I choked one syllable out of shock and anger. He was handsome again, why was he concerned with one minor detail?

Raziel gave me a self-satisfied smirk "What do we do now?"

I grumbled in irritation as I pointed out the next piece of the puzzle.


	4. The Water Puzzle

Actually, "Selfishness" refers to the clingy fan girl's refusal to take a hint and leave Raziel alone. I suppose it also refers to Raziel's refusal to acknowledge her feelings.

I fixed to chapter yesterday, so I'm not going to delay it any longer. (What was I thinking, having Liz pull the whole "I don't have long to live," act.)

6/1/05 Disclaimer: I don't own Raziel or Ico. Elizabeth is a stock character type.

We wandered through the castle for hours. During that time, we discovered that Raziel's reversion was complete save for his mind. He was again vulnerable to water, and he was lacking his wraith blade. Raziel's attitude towards me still did not change. He went through the puzzles in a methodical and businesslike manner.

At a point where Raziel had to reach down to pull me onto a ledge, I crossed my arms and stood defiantly.

"What's wrong with you?" Raziel asked.

"You're being a jerk!" I spat. "You act like being in my company is some great burden."

Raziel withdrew his talon and crouched on the ledge. "I was trying to find the secret of my destiny, but instead I got dragged here."

"You're happier not knowing," I muttered.

"I don't care for your opinion," Raziel sneered.

"Whiney giant smurf," I scowled, turning my back towards Raziel.

At that moment, a portal opened, and smoldering spirits came out to attack me. I did not hesitate to grab Raziel's hand and let him pull me to safety.

It wasn't until we were well away from the portal when Raziel growled, "I don't want any more of your foolish little delays."

"You did seem worried when that portal opened," I quietly remarked.

"Despite my feelings for this situation, no one deserves to go there," Raziel said ominously.

I nodded, remembering an earlier incident when one of the creatures had started to drag me in. My leg had immediately gone numb to everything but tiny lances of pain. I shuddered to think about how it would feel to have my entire body dragged in.

"Besides which," Raziel continued, "you're the only thing that can open those doors."

"Actually, there is something else that can open them," I said. "There's a magic sword in the grotto underneath the castle. The trouble is, you've got to be outside wanting to get in."

"That knowledge would have been beneficial much sooner," Raziel growled.

"No shortcuts," I insisted. "That would have gotten us stuck here permanently. The only benefit you have is that I'm not a defective princess."

"A what?" Raziel asked.

"In the game, Yorda doesn't do much of anything except occasionally stare at the solution to the puzzle. She doesn't even try to defend herself." I said.

"You're not very good at defending yourself," Raziel commented.

"That's why I'm happy that you're willing to keep them from getting me," I smiled coyly.

We reached the halfway point quickly enough. Our next challenge lay in a huge room with a waterfall flowing through it. It was smaller than the ballroom, but there were more levels defined by the bridges and pathways.

"I'm not going in there," Raziel insisted, hanging back in the entrance.

"We have to keep going," I yelled over the roaring of the water.

Raziel stubbornly crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the side of the doorway. I felt some sympathy for him. He had good reason to fear the water. The last water puzzle had left him shaking and pale, and that had been shallow.

"I thought you wanted to go home," I said, wrapping my hands around his arm. "It will be okay. Just go out through that window at the top."

Raziel frowned as he considered his lack of options. He shrugged his arm out of my grip and carefully jogged across the highest bridge to the other side of the chamber. I took my own path, carefully lowering myself over the edge of the stone walkway and dropping to the one underneath.

After two minor puzzles, we entered the grassy courtyard. The stream that fed the waterfall flowed swiftly along one side. I shoved a box into the stream to prove that I wouldn't be able to swim it. Raziel flatly refused to attempt leaping over the stream. 

Steeling my courage, I took a flying leap over the stream… and landed a foot short. My fingers brushed the ledge on the opposite side, but I wasn't able to get a grip before the current pulled me over the waterfall.

My whole body stung from hitting the water bad. I thrashed to the surface and started shrieking for Raziel. I clambered out of the water and retched. I screamed for Raziel again. 

Fear caused my legs to wobble even as I lurched back to the outside. I knew that if the spirits acted like they always had in the game, then Raziel would never reach me in time.

Sure enough, the spirits did come, but fortunately Raziel could move faster than Ico, and I wasn't a brain-dead princess. Raziel hissed as he saw that I was soaking wet, but he bore the burning and quickly jerked me up to the ledge.

Fortunately, Raziel did not have to repeat the worst part of the puzzle. He tried jumping the stream this time, and I held my breath as he almost slipped on the landing. 

Even with the stream feeding the waterfall cut off, the room was still half-flooded. I waded through knee-deep water and dragged the floating crate so that Raziel could stand on it. He wasn't too keen on the idea, but I managed to ferry him to the other side. 


	5. You'll be rid of me

A/N: In a fit of "this direction wasn't blocked," I decided to jot down my alternate ideas for chapter four. They're in my deviantart scraps number 19014761.

Razielim Vampiress: Yeah, the login problem with FFnet was pretty persistent. Coincidentally, it went away mere hours after I decided to go whinging about it. It's odd how I haven't yet had a chick from earth meet Raziel and not have some bizarre sex-related incident with him, but this one was too good to pass up. 

brett: Alright, I'm bored with you. Either point out what's making this story so "lame," or say something else mildly interesting. If you can't do that, don't bother touching your keyboard.

6/2/2005 Disclaimer: I don't own Raziel or Ico.

* * *

"Haven't we been here before?" Raziel asked as we reached one of the last puzzles. 

"It's symmetrical," I commented dryly "There are some differences."

Warily, Raziel peered through a doorway. It led to a slanted hallway with water running down the floor. "I do not want to go through that again."

"It's a trick," I said, remembering a time I had fallen for it. "The player climbs along those ledges just because it was the solution last time, but this time it's just a dead end."

"How much further must we go?" Raziel asked.

"Don't worry," I said, "you'll be rid of me soon enough."

"Hours ago would have been soon enough," Raziel grumbled. He squinted at the sun; it hadn't moved at all. "It feels like it's been days."

Somehow, I could feel what he meant. We hadn't needed to eat or sleep during our entire journey, but I was tired. As much as I hated to admit it, I was beginning to mimic Raziel's desires to leave this place.

I watched as Raziel completed the final step to the puzzle. "Where do we go now?" He asked.

"The Main Gate," I weakly smiled up at him.

He beamed with a toothy grin of his own.

As we entered the courtyard again, I felt a certain sense of trepidation. The main gate was glowing with the amounts of raw power coursing through it. I walked up to it so that it would open.

I hadn't expected the experience to be so painful. Fire spread through my chest as the gate's energy ripped through me. I cried out, and then I collapsed as the gate released me.

Raziel hauled me to my feet. "Let's get out of here."

I whimpered as he tried to drag me across the bridge; it hurt to move. Raziel seemed impatient, but he submitted to my limping crawl as long as I kept moving.

As we approached the center of the bridge, I told Raziel, "You might be able to get out of the castle, but you won't be able to leave the game."

He stopped and turned to look at me, but the castle chose that moment to lash out at us. Lightening flew out from the two orbs on either side of the gate and knocked us apart. Raziel was nearly thrown off of the bridge, but he managed to catch the edge.

The bridge began to move, the two halves retracting. A gap began to form between us.

"Raziel!" I screamed, not daring to look back at the puddle of blackness that must have been forming behind me.

Raziel had clambered back onto the bridge. He took one look at the widening gap and leapt.

I knew that he wouldn't make it. I stuck out my arm and he caught it. I cried out in pain. It felt as if my arm was being wrenched from its socket. Raziel ineffectually clawed at the side of the bridge with his free hand, desperately trying to find something solid to hold on to. I bore the pain helplessly, knowing that I had to hold on for as long as I could.

Though the pain in my shoulder was terrible, even worse was the horrifying cold that was creeping up my legs. I gritted my teeth as my body became engulfed in blackness. I felt no relief as it caused my aching shoulder to go dead. I was dimly aware of Raziel's claws slipping through my numbed fingers. The last thing I heard was Raziel's echoing yell as the darkness engulfed me.

Suddenly, I could feel again. I was inside the sacrifice room; glowing coffins lined the walls. I groaned and tried to rub the strain out of my abused muscles. I desperately wondered if I had managed to hold on long enough, if Raziel survived the fall.

"It's almost over," the Gamester said.

"Is Raziel okay?" I asked.

"He landed on the suspended cages, exactly like he was supposed to." She tilted her head to one side, a small frown forming on her perfect alabaster face. "It's starting to rain, though. I hate to imagine what that's going to do to his skin."

"Oh no," I groaned, realizing what I had done.

The Gamester continued as if she hadn't heard me. "You know, he's never going to be able to swim now. These puzzles were designed for a human, after all."

I realized that the Gamester was prompting me, but it seemed like the most reasonable idea. I reminded myself that Raziel would probably prefer being human instead of being turned back into the wraith, especially since he was still pining for his defiled nobility.

"Make Raziel into a human," I said.

The Gamester smiled and spread her smoked-garbed arms. "It is done. He should be waking up soon."

My mind kept drifting back to Raziel. I kept asking the Gamester if Raziel was still unconscious. Or occasionally I would ask if he were still alive.

Finally, the Gamester couldn't take it any longer. "He's awake now, see for yourself." She waved her hands, and the viewing basin from the Sarafan stronghold appeared.

I peered into the water, but I couldn't clearly see what was going on. I saw a shadow with a red cape; I could only assume that was Raziel making his way along the narrow cliffs underneath the castle.

When Raziel jumped into the water, I got very worried. Swimming was harder when you actually had to worry about breathing. I saw him struggle, but he managed to climb back out again.

Fortunately, it seemed that Raziel's human body was in good shape. He quickly made it to the elevator shaft and down to the sacrifice's entrance.

"Let's see what he does," the Gamester mused happily.

I stared in disappointment as Raziel examined the boat and seemed to consider simply rowing away. I actually sighed in relief as he instead found the sword and used it to open the spirit gate that led back inside the castle.

"That's it for you, dear," the gamester said as she touched my shoulder. Immediately, my vision blacked out.

I found myself thinking about Raziel. Would he realize what those shadow creatures were? I imagined that it didn't matter if he did, he would still do what he needed to.

I then thought about his encounter with the Queen. I didn't doubt that the Gamester would provoke Raziel into killing her.

Just as I thought about that, the floor suddenly appeared as it rushed up to meet me. I blinked and tried to clear my vision, but it was obscured by black smoke. I examined my hands to find they were covered in the stuff, but to my relief it wasn't the same unbearable cold as the portals.

I stood and walked deeper into the castle. The building was already beginning to fall apart. I knew that I had to get Raziel out of here.

He was lying on the floor unconscious, blood oozed from a few deep cuts on his body. His Sarafan armor would have protected him better than his scant vampire uniform, but I saw that he had stripped off parts of that anyway. I picked him up easily, my supernatural transformation granted me amazing strength.

I spared a glance at the throne. The sword was deeply embedded in the wood, but there wasn't any trace of the Gamester.

Raziel opened his eyes briefly when I set him in the boat. "The only way out is to finish this," I reminded him sadly. Raziel looked as if he would argue with me, but he was too weak, and he passed out again.

I pushed the boat towards the sea and watched as it slowly floated away. I briefly worried that the falling rubble would hit Raziel, but I figured that he would probably be okay.

The tremors intensified, and huge sections of the castle began to fall away. The water swirled around my ankles. It felt unbearably hot, so I tried to find higher ground. I knew that it wouldn't be long now; the castle was already sinking into the sea. Then everything went dark.


	6. Final

6/4/2005 Disclaimer I don't own Raziel or Ico. Author's notes are at the bottom.

I groaned softly. A pleasant warmth spread across my back. I felt wetness beneath me, and a rhythmic rushing sound filled my ears. I ignored it; I just wanted to stay like this forever.

I felt a hint of coldness interrupt the warmth. I twitched and opened my eyes.

Raziel was standing over me; his shadow was the coolness I had felt. His damp hair hung messily in his eyes. He wasn't as unnaturally beautiful as the vampire had been, but he was still ruggedly handsome.

I struggled to my feet and brushed the wet sand off my chest. "We made it, this is the end of the game." Even the raspiness of my voice didn't mask my obvious happiness.

Raziel caught me as I lost my balance. "Now what?" he asked. His voice was not bitter, but it held a sense of bewilderment.

"I'm not sure," I confessed as I glanced at the ocean. I felt a pang in my stomach, but I wasn't sure what emotion caused it.

At that moment, a figure appeared on the beach. It was the Gamester in the beatnik form that he had first appeared to me in. I realized that the deathly pale skin made this form resemble the Queen, but the resemblance was a coincidence. I was sure that this was an established character from another game, and that his eyes should be red. The Gamester's mannerisms fit in with this form almost perfectly.

"How did you enjoy it?" he asked pleasantly.

"Leave us alone," Raziel said angrily. "What more amusement do you hope to gain from us?"

The Gamester blinked as if surprised. "It's true that I do derive a certain sense of pride from my service, but this little diversion was for Elizabeth's benefit. She's the one who wanted to spend time with you."

I shrank back under Raziel's accusing gaze. His grip tightened on my arms.

"This was because of you?" he asked incredulously.

My throat tightened. Unable to speak, I shamefully nodded my head.

Raziel's grip loosened slightly. "Why?"

I took a breath and forced myself to speak. "Because I really wanted to be with you." Hot tears ran down my face.

Raziel brushed them away with his thumb as he caressed my cheek. "You must have known that you could not have me," he said gently.

The gamester cleared his throat. "This is all very touching, but now it's time for both of you to go home."

I stepped away from Raziel. Something about the gamester's words filled me with cold dread. "No," I begged.

"My girl, you've had your fun. Both of you need to go back where you belong. Please accept my apologies, Raziel, but I simply can't send you back to Nosgoth looking like that." The gamester waved his hand

I couldn't tear my gaze away as Raziel's skin began to run off of his face like molten wax. I couldn't tell if the process was painful; only a slight cry of despair left his mouth before it fell away. Dark blood oozed from his closed eyes, leaving familiar trails down his hollow cheeks.

Within moments, the transformation was complete. Raziel's eyes flew open and blazed in an accusing stare. Raziel's obvious anger was more frightening than seeing the uncloaked void in his face.

I tentatively walked up to Raziel. "I'm sorry," I whispered as I reached out to him.

Raziel shrunk away from my reach. He wrapped his tattered cloak back around his ruined face and said, "I never want to see you again."

His words stung me to the core of my being. Hot tears pricked at my eyes. My chest tightened, and I had to struggle to breathe.

The Gamester waved his hand, and the control switch for the chronoplast appeared in the sand. "This will return you to where you were headed," he told Raziel. "I'll take care of Eliza."

Raziel glanced at me one last time. For a moment, my spirits lifted as I thought he might say something nice to me. Instead, his eyes narrowed and he turned on his heel. He activated the switch without saying another word.

When I woke up in my bed, I wondered if it had all been a dream. I was wearing my velvet lounge pants again. The clothes I had been wearing in the game were still clean; they should have been wet and sandy and covered in smudges of dirt from both Ico's castle and the Sarafan Stronghold.

I picked up the box for Soul Reaver 2. Whether it had been a dream or something else, I no longer felt the same way that I had about Raziel. I couldn't tell if I had lost my pity for him, or if I had simply gotten a better sense of who he was.

I put the box back on the shelf. I realized that it didn't matter, really. My life would continue as it had, except that I didn't think that I'd ever daydream again about getting sucked into a game.

End.

* * *

Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I admit that there were no last-minute changes on this one, and there was no good reason to hold it. 

Razielim Vampiress: And now you've reached the end, and I am left for the moment without a project. Thanks for the support.

gryps incedio: Yeah, I admit I should have gone with the, "Liz ends up getting soaking wet" scenario. It's just that little Razzy ends up going missing anyway. (I think I'm the only one who prefers the wraith.) Hopefully I'm done with the "Raziel isn't sympathetic" phase. But Liz making Raz's life difficult was pretty much the point of the story. Remember to spay and neuter your pets.

RockyShoreline: Cliffhanger? Well that was an unconscious decision. This chapter break had been like this since the beginning. I suppose it's because of the way they did the game… I broke at a point where some people would turn off their PS2.

Something I learned from writing this… Don't compose on a handheld. The small screen causes each sentence to be at least three lines, and my formatting got stuck in an annoying 'short paragraphs' format that persisted even in the parts that didn't get written until I sat down at the keyboard.

The part about this story that disturbs me… There is hardly any deleted material. There are the alternate parts that I jotted down after uploading chapter 5, and a couple other scenarios that I daydreamed, but the first out-of-brain form is pretty close to the final version. (The biggest difference is where I put the chapter divisions and I added some embellishments.)


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